I finally felt better today, which meant it was time for a bike ride. New Orleans is treating us to 80 degree weather in late November, so lucky me hopped on the Surly and headed to the lake. After getting stuck in a series of cul-de-sacs over near Lakeshore–that’s what happens when they close my route for levee construction–I finally made it to Lake Pontchartrain, where I sat, listened to the wind, ate a banana, and felt thankful for my health and a most perfect afternoon. Continue reading
nature
Yellow Flowering Tree at Constance & Annunciation
Do you ever have those days where you just feel exhausted in the very marrow of your bones? Today was that kind of day for me. Which meant that as much as I wanted to ride my bike to the Po Boy Fest or the Congo Square Rhythms Festival or out to Chalmette, I walked to brunch and then straight back home to laze about with my cats and The Grapes of Wrath. I can’t believe they let high school kids read this anti-capitalist, anti-private property, anti-disciplinary state apparatus screed, or that there isn’t a revolution of the working class led by high school juniors every year. Everybody should read this book. Anyway. Continue reading
Sunset Over Hollygrove From Leonidas & Eagle
I spent most of the day working–first from home and then from the office–so I was definitely in the mood for a bit of a ride around town at the end of it, in spite of the heady winds. We don’t have hills here, so windy days feel like my only chance to “hill” train, so I decided to pedal against it for awhile. I headed up Oak Street past Carrollton to check out how the fancy new street is looking. (Good, but it’s way too narrow for parking on both sides, cars each way, and a stray bike or two.) I turned at Eagle and headed toward Hollygrove, stopping to check out the new water treatment plant being storm-proofed at Spruce Street. Continue reading
Fall Colors at Amelia & Camp Streets
Is this a birch tree? I most assuredly do not know my trees, but today as I was riding downtown after a long work day, I was scoping out the trees. We don’t get fall colors here in New Orleans, because we don’t really have fall like that, and we certainly don’t have a lot of deciduous trees. I saw one tree that looked golden from afar, but when I got closer it turned out the golden was from the sun hitting it just right. Continue reading
Flowering Tree Near Newcomb Hall at Tulane
It was yet another beautiful early fall day in New Orleans. I hopped on the bike to head to school early, and the air was just a teensy bit cool–perfect. I taught and taught and lunched and taught and by the end of the day I had a really impressive headache lodged behind my left eye. Ugh. I did not feel like doing anything but lying around in the dark, but I got on my bike and headed down to the gym. Then I discovered I’d left work I needed at the office. Sigh. Monday on Wednesday. Continue reading
Vines on a Blighted House on Delachaise & Danneel
I spent the day working at home until I had to head to campus for what turned out to be a positively delightful reception with colleagues organized by M., the chair of my department. I took the bike, of course, and stopped at the post office to mail a thing or two. It is so much faster to run errands by bike than by car, folks, and in weather like we’re having, so, so much more pleasant. I was less than a block Uptown from the post office when I noticed this house covered in vines. Continue reading
Vines and Trees at Freret & Upperline
I don’t usually ride as far as I did yesterday, and today I am feeling it, for sure. Hopping on the bike wasn’t the first thing I wanted to do today, but by 11:00, I had to head up to campus, so off we went. Turns out it helps to just spin around on the bike a bit. After a delightful lunch with a delightful student and some work in this office and that, I headed to the bar to meet folks for drinks. One drink, though, and I knew it was time for a few last pedals home to rest. I snapped this picture at Freret and Upperline of a vine wrapped around a tree and then wrapped around the telephone line. I love how the plants have just decided to act like sure, we can both be in the very same space at the very same time, so what? Nobody’s giving in here. A few bumpy blocks of Freret on my way to the smooth new asphalt on Peniston, and I was on my way home.
Spanish Moss in Audubon Park
I had a long day at work today, but it was a good one–one of those days where your students are smart and charming and inquisitive and you find real pleasure in your work. I was tired by the end of the day, but the weather and the light was simply too much to just head straight home. I went to Audubon Park to see what everybody else was doing. I did two laps and passed–and got passed–by a whole bunch of folks on bikes. There were runners, walkers, and a couple of speedwalkers, lots of dogs, a rollerblader or two, and some golfers. There were ducks and geese and squirrels and several white ibis, pecking away at the grass. I took this picture on my second go-around. The spanish moss just drips off this oak tree. It’s like being right on the underside of a cloud. Another lovely October day in New Orleans.
Moon Over the I10 From the Jeff Davis Overpass
See that glowing dot in the background there? Yeah, that’s the moon. I first saw it as I picked up the Jeff Davis bike path at Washington as I rode to Mid-City for a meeting. I pedaled faster, in time to the music, thinking the view would be pretty good from the top of the highest hill I’ve found in NOLA–the I10 overpass. I actually lost the moon when I got up there. I looked behind me–no dice. Continue reading
Trees on Zachary Taylor Near Pan-American Stadium in City Park
Today didn’t go as planned, and it took me a lot longer to get out on my bicycle for a ride than I’d wanted, but that’s how things go sometimes. I put on my new prescription sunglasses–I can already see why they designed those wrap-around shades–and headed out to see the lake. I headed out Jeff Davis on my way to City Park and picked up the Bike Route signs at Bayou St. John. There are a lot of new bike/walk paths in New Orleans, but I am terrible with maps, and as soon as it’s folded up, I’ve forgotten everything anyway. Continue reading
What I Saw Riding My Bike Around Today 